The problems of street children and juvenile delinquents are much related social

problems. To survive in the street you almost have to become delinquent. Exposed to
criminal elements these children are vulnerable to prostitution, drug addiction and
pushing and crimes. Most street children have become juvenile delinquents either out of
necessity because they are poor or through force because of the syndicates. Young
people in the streets are also criminalized and stigmatized for no obvious crime
committed.

Children in jail in the Philippines continue to be a significant problem. Between

1976 and 1983 murder, robbery, theft, rape and homicide rose from 37% to 58% of all
crimes committed. Delinquent youth doubled from 3,814 in 1987 to 6,778 in 1989. The
majority (59.1 %) apprehended were between 17 and 21 years old, while another 31.8%
were between 13 and 16 years old. Only 2.3 % were preteens. This was the situation
based on data given by the Department of Social Welfare. According to Amnesty
International, over 50,000 children in the Philippines have been arrested and detained
since 1995. 

For some humanitarian reasons, I agree with The Juvenile Justice and Welfare
Act which exempts offenders aged under 15 from criminal charges, and which also
exempts offenders aged 15-18 except if they committed an act knowing it was a crime.

Senator Pangilingan once said that “Many of those children who commit crimes
are already being let down by adults — parents, guardians, relatives, and teachers.
They deserve another chance at a productive life in a nurturing environment. This is
precisely what the Juvenile Justice Law does — letting them live out their maximum
potential as productive citizens and making a worthwhile contribution to their families
and communities,”

On my opinion, there should no amendment on age bracket of the said Act

because it is crucial to the welfare of thousands of children who are suffering from
Torture, rape and other forms of cruel and inhumane treatment are a part of every day
while they're incarcerated along with adult criminals.

Youth aged under eighteen shouldn’t be grouped with mean and hardened
criminals because this age belongs to a critical stage which will set their future. If they
are imprisoned with adult criminals at that particular stage of their life, they would only
learn from the viciousness, godless personality, addiction to drugs and other devilish
acts which give them authority to wreck havoc anywhere. From the very start until now
with the youth of our generation, children duplicate what they see from the adults
without even considering what is right and bad. If the future fails, it is because of what
they learn from the adults of now.

If we want to solve the problem delinquent youths once and for all, We go after
fighting poverty which pushes them to do such things. We go after the syndicates. The
syndicates will always be around to use whoever unless you bust them. Amending the
law does that solve the problem, because poverty will be there. The syndicate will still
be there, and most definitely this criminal syndicates are not run by 15,16 or 17-year-
olds.